Somebody New
by spoons are for marmalade skies
Summary: Number two after This World, kind of connected, kind of not. Sirius and Lily meet, and form a friendship of sorts. Can they keep it from James? Read to find out! Rated R for theme.
1. Once Upon a Time

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns quite a lot of it. The title is from Numb, David Usher. If anything else is wrong or recognizable, there you go.

**Somebody New**

_hey have you fallen off your shelf_

_can I help you get yourself back together_

_i'm so tired can i help you save yourself_

Once upon a time there was a home. A mother, a father, a baby girl. A little house on a narrow tree-lined street, with laughter and sunshine and promises.

The father left, the mother died. The girl was twelve. Her name was Lily.


	2. Enter Lily

"Lily Evans!"

Evans was her father's name. Her mother had loved him very much and knew, from the bottom of her heart, that he had not left. He had disappeared, and was harmed, and there could be nothing worse.

"Fuck." She dropped to her knees behind a waste bin, scraped the rubber of her shoe along the gravel of the alley.

"Lily Evans, come back here!"

The door slammed. Lily ran, because there was no other way out. There went another house. Her latest friend, nearer and dearer than anyone in the world, was thanks to her on crack cocaine. "_Erythroxylum coca_," she had told Susie Lynn. "Widely used in South America for the last ten thousand years –" That was a rough estimate "- for its medicinal properties. Go on, try some. You'll feel good."

Lily had no idea if Susie Lynn would feel any better. All she knew was that Susie Lynn was very upset at failing a pop quiz, and needed compensation for the intense grief she was experiencing. Lily never had and never would go near the stuff herself. Relief be damned, it cost money that she didn't have.

She opened another stolen bottle and sat back. Susie's mom had chased her halfway down the block before Lily jumped a fence and crossed a neighbour's yard. She was risking something, a lot or maybe not at all, camping so close to her previous home, but she was tired and it was raining. The gin slipped down her throat and warmed her to the tips of her fingers. A smile pulled at her lips. She snuggled deeper into her coat and fell into a half-sleep.


	3. Enter Sirius

The next thing she knew she was being kicked awake. "Filth!"

There, that was an improvement. Evans be gone, she had watched him pack his bags as her mother slept. She rolled over, to find her face pressed against the corner of a blade. A moustache loomed over her, the mouth below it parting to expel a spray of spit.

"Pull your dirty little Muggle remains off my porch or I cut you limb – from – limb."

He really seemed to mean it. If it weren't for the knife she would have laughed, or at least defended herself against his accusations of the strains of her line. They were pure Muggle, she a witch. This pureblood would have to come to terms with the idea; but not now. She got up and backed away slowly.

"Pardon, sir, didn't see the house there." There wasn't one, it had disappeared as soon as he stepped out the door. He knew that she knew, though, and that she was one of his kind, and that she could tear him to pieces if she cared to. At least that was what she hoped to imply. He brandished the knife.

"Come back and you won't wake up." He shoved past her, knocking her to the ground. It was very soft; the grass was well-kept. She decided the wisest thing was to stay put, and awake.

A hand pressed to her forehead, where an odd cut had appeared. She hadn't felt her skin break, still didn't feel the early morning cold under her skin. She felt the hand, though, and opened her eyes.

"Hi." There was a boy hovering over her, a few years older, grinning widely. "All right there?"

"Grand," she said, pushing herself up. "Stop touching me."

He did so, shaking his hair out of his face. He was very beautiful, and very conceited about the whole thing by the look of it. She watched him interestedly. "Do you think it'll stop bleeding sometime soon, or can I fix it up for you?"

"Is it?" She put a hand up and brought it away scarlet. A strange sort of frown, more amused than anything, crossed her face. He picked her up.

"Can you walk? Will you fall if I let go?"

She shoved his hands away irritably. "I told you to stop touching me. I'm fine."

"My father likes that sort of thing. The violent upper-class fascist snob, embodied."

"Of course." She didn't really care, she was watching up and down the street because the sun was rising which that meant it was seven o'clock, or a bit later, and Susie Lynn's mother would be driving by. The boy had his eyes on her and his mind somewhere else.

"Do you need to get somewhere?"

"Not here. Somewhere else. Right now. Oh, blimey. Bugger all, there she –" Lily ducked behind the boy. He was quite tall, much taller than she. If only he would quit turning his head to peer down at her and bellow out questions for the whole street to hear she might be all right.

"Fuck."

"Are you alright? You really walloped your head. Maybe we should hook you up with some sort of cream, or disinfectant, or painkiller. I have some Ogden's –"

"Yes!"

"The Ogden's? Oh. No. Painkiller, sure, I can sneak back in and maybe Mother won't –"

"Get me some whiskey," she said.

"You know Ogden's! You must be a witch. Do you go to school?"

"Yes and no." She peeked around his shoulder. The street was empty. She stepped out in relief. "It's only that I couldn't be seen by Susie Lynn's mother."

"From down the road?"

"Yes. I was living with them, up until yesterday evening."

"Cripes, it must have been bad to throw her off her cocker. That must be the most docile woman I've ever met. What'd you do, pitch bricks through all their windows?"

"I drugged up Susie Lynn. When are you going to get me that drink?"

He looked down at her, curious now. "How old did you say you were?"

"Twelve."

"Twelve!" He whistled. "I've never given a twelve-year-old alcohol before. Except my little cousins, but that's different. They're family. The needed to get fucked up."

"You don't like them?"

"In a word, no."

They stood for a moment. Sirius cleared his throat. "Look, we're standing on the lawn, and I'm getting kind of jumpy, so maybe we could –"

"I have to go," she said.

"Are you coming back?"

"No."

"All right then. I think I'll go back to bed."

"Can I come with you?"

"Whoa," he said, holding up his hands. "Did you or did you not just tell me you were twelve?"

"I slept in your doorway last night. I thought it was a wall, actually, but I was outside, and I was drunk so I couldn't tell it was cold but now I'm starting to feel it and I'm going to freeze if I don't stay somewhere tonight. I can't afford food, let alone anything else, I need a place to stay, you're a wizard and you need to look after me."

"You can't stay with me. My house is a wreck."

"It can't be worse than the alley out back."

"It's clean enough. That's not what I mean."

"Where am I supposed to go? My best friend kicked me out, my parents are dead, my house is gone. I have nothing."

He chucked her under the chin. "Get some emotion into that speech and someone might take you in for good. What are you doing hooking your friends anyway? You probably deserve what you get."

"Probably."

"But you still have nothing."

"I still have nothing."

He thought hard, and said, "Tell you what. I'll get you in touch with a friend of mine. His folks are good and he isn't clean. Right up your alley, hey?"

"Hey," she said.

"Hey. Your eyes are really green."

"Yeah."

"That's cool."

"No it's not. My dad left in the middle of the night, and my mom thought he croaked until she did."

"You're crazy."

"Probably."

"Were his eyes green?"

"No."

"I'll go owl Remus," he said, and went inside.


	4. Enter Tom

Sirius was worried, when he met the strange girl on his ground, that she might throw off his plans. She needed help, that was for sure, and he needed to get stoned. Fortunately for him, the two went hand in hand.

Sirius was not independently wealthy. He was fourteen and had never earned a knut. He was a first-class pilfer, though, with no qualms at taking his parents' hard-earned money; as he explained to the girl, it had probably been embezzled anyway. He borrowed as many galleons as they could carry between them before they set off for the Leaky Cauldron.

Tom the bartender let them rooms with a sitting room between, where Lily sat on the floor and began counting the money. Sirius, unimpressed by the sums, wrote to Remus.

Moony – 

_We've got a nutcase on our hands, Father found her on the doorstep and I felt bad about that, so I hooked her up with some cash and told her I'd write you. I guess you can't take her in – any ideas?_

_Padfoot_

Lily read over his shoulder. "You don't think they'll take me?"

Sirius jumped. "Merlin! don't sneak up on me like that. They can't afford it. But he'll have thoughts. Forget about it."

She shrugged. "We've got two hundred forty-six."

"Thoughts? Oh. Right. Perfect. How much does it cost to go to Hogwarts?"

Another shrug.

"Okay, well, I'll talk to Dumbledore when that owl gets back. If we can get you in you're home free, you'll live there and everything."

"I went last year," she said. "I didn't like it very much."

"It's food and shelter."

"It's paying to work."

"It's not really work, I never have. Tell you what. I'll get you enough to start off with, and then you're on your own. All right?"

She was doubtful as to his motives, that was clear. "What do you want out of it?"

He didn't have to think about that one. "Get me hooked."

"On what?"

"Anything."

"Why?"

He lifted his hands. "Why does anyone do anything? Why are my parents such whoresons? Why must the world turn about in such a mind-bending fashion? Make me into your next Susie Lynn, my girl, and I will set you up for life."

"If you overdose, and you die, and you leave me here, I'll find someone you care about and kill them."

"I'll be careful."

"I don't know you."

"Remus won't do anything too rash, but he'll buy off you. I know ninety percent of the school, Lily. They love me. I own them. If I tell them it's you, then it's you."

"How old did you say you were?"

He laughed. "You're quick. I'm in the upper half of everything, that's what matters to you."

"You're not it."

"Sure I am. They love me."

"But you're not it."

"Look," he said, getting impatient. "I've got three years left, right? That's it. Two years from now there is no one else that matters."

"That's two years too long. Who should I be talking to right now?"

"Me. You're talking to me because I have money and I can get you more. Please, Lily, take my word on this."

"I need you."

"I know you do." The grin was back. She blinked slowly.

"I need you to not let me down. If you do, I will kill you."

"That's nice," he said.

"You're not taking me seriously because I'm half your size. I'm not kidding."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'm going to get in touch with Dumbledore, and you can come to school with your wares and not get caught and you'll do fine."

She didn't say anything.

"Just graduate is all," he said, to break the silence. His owl rapped on the window.

_No. Fuck off_.

the letter read. Sirius scratched his head.

"Caught him on a bad day, I guess. No worries, we've got it down. Shall we sweet-talk Dumbledore, or shall we be professional, do you think?"

She stood quietly beside him. He picked up his quill.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

he wrote, and then paused. "Professor? Or Headmaster? Should it be dear? He is, but this might not be the time and place."

_To our excellent Headmaster, overlord of and yet sympathetic toward his precious students,_

_Hi. This is Sirius. Black, you know, I was in your office several months ago, all that is in the past now. For real this time. _

_I have a tiny request to make._

_A girl, twelve years old, by name of Lily Evans was discovered sleeping upon the doorstep of our humble abode at roughly seven o'clock this morning. My heart goes out to her, this poor orphaned child, and the thought sprung upon me that Professor Dumbledore, the unnamed leader of our beloved homeland, is the very one to take charge of such a drastic situation. Professor, this girl is lovely. She is alone in an empty world and requires a father figure to guide her on her way. You alone can provide that service, and I implore you, take her in. Give her a home. Let her learn from our able teachers, and sleep in the very warm beds that your accomplished house-elves so diligently prepare for we who are lesser than she._

_I think she's going into her second year, by the way. Do you know her?_

_Yours very sincerely,_

_Sirius Black._


	5. Enter Dumbledore

Two days later a response came.

_You will be surprised to find, Mr Black, that I do recall both you and the circumstances under which we last met. I am also fully aware of Lily Evans and her situation, and had planned on making some sort of arrangement. We cannot keep her during the summer holidays, as you yourself know, but will be pleased to welcome her to our school. It would be very fine if some sponsor or patron were to assist her; otherwise, we shall have to come to an agreement. I thank you for taking her under your wing, as it were._

_If you or she have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your letters will be sent shortly to your present (at the time, that is) residence._

_Yours,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster_

"Well," said Sirius. "There you are."

"I like Dumbledore. Should I know you?"

"Of course you should, if you want to survive in Hogwarts."

Lily was shaking her head. "No, I mean you went there, shouldn't I have seen you around?"

"You should have, yes. We're the Marauders."

"There's lots of those."

"No, I mean _the_ Marauders. The only."

"You're not the only ones, there's lots."

"The only ones that you'll hear about more than once. Do you by any chance know of a James Potter?"

He was shocked to see her giggling at the very mention. "Ooh, you mean that Quidditch player?"

"Hey, I play too," Sirius broke in. She ignored him.

"Who doesn't know James Potter? Or should I say, _the_ James Potter. He is the most -"

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm _the_ Sirius Black. But listen – I don't want you to go near him, all right?"

"That's a tough order, Mr Black. I don't see why not."

"He won't buy, and even if he will I don't want him too."

"That's sweet. Should he be the one I'm killing when you fail me?"

"Don't go near him is all." Sirius closed his lips on that, and started another letter. She tried to read it, but he shooed her off, and eventually she went downstairs to sweet-talk Tom into giving her a glass.


	6. Enter Remus

Sirius made sure to keep in touch with James over the summer. Aside from anything else, James was his contact to civilisation, not to mention a potential home when he could get out of his own. His father was incredibly controlling, his mother incredibly loud. Between them he didn't get a moment's peace, which left him one option: holidays at Hogwarts. Summer was forbidden by all rules and regulations. The other two he stayed at school, sometime accompanied by a friend or six, sometimes not.

By Christmas it was determined that James would be going home, and Remus, the full moon passing over the day anyway, would remain in the confines of the Shrieking Shack, where he supposedly spent every full moon. Sirius was just as glad to be staying that year, to keep his friend company during his wolfing. Peter was going to holiday along the east coast of Scotland, where his mother had grown up. "Neat," said Sirius. He really thought it was; he couldn't wait for Peter to go. The kid got on his nerves.

By the last day of school Sirius was itching for everyone to be gone, up to and including James. Remus was all right as concerned Lily, but as long as James was staying out of it Sirius meant to keep him out. This meant dealing with his problems without the aid of laxatives, something he didn't enjoy; also drinking a lot, which James approved of, causing a slight alleviation of what Sirius described as his heartfelt agony.

When James was gone, Sirius, bundled in a winter cloak over a mug of Butterbeer, said to Remus, "So."

"Can't this wait until we're back at the castle?"

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"I'm not going to like it."

"What is this, PMS?"

"Pre Moony Syndrome, yes."

"And Post. And Pin the fucking middle."

"Will you shut up and let me drink in peace?"

"No."

Remus gestured to Rosmerta to refill his mug. "What, then?"

"Look, I found this girl."

"Surprise, surprise."

"Shut up."

"Make it fast, Padfoot."

"Shut up, I said. Over summer she was living in the streets, and I got her into Hogwarts, and now everything is laughter and sunshine and promises."

"That's nice."

"She thought so. She was living off her narcotics trade."

"How old is this bird?"

"Twelve."

"All right. Get to the point."

"I told her I'd get her contacts once she was living here. It's been hard with James around, but –"

"What's he got to do with it? Likes his glasses?"

"I don't want him getting into that stuff."

"But I'm okay."

"Sure."

"Thanks." Remus scowled into his mug.

"Do you want to buy? Because I know you won't kill me for it if you don't, but it'd be great if you wanted to."

"Thanks." Remus was trying his hardest not to think, but Sirius pressed on.

"Do you or not?"

"Sure, whatever. I have no money, mind you."

"How much does Prongs owe you?"

"Lots."

"Owl him. His parents will pay up if he has a good enough excuse."

"Of which he has many," Remus said. "All right, let's do it."

"Right on."

"Who is she?"

"Lily Evans. Second year. Red hair, green eyes, real cute. You might have seen her around."

Remus shrugged. "Is she Gryffindor?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. I'll keep an eye out."

"Don't. James knows nothing, you got me?"

"Just fughetaboutit." Remus waved an arm much in the manner of a gangster, minus the cigar, and Sirius laughed.

"You're a pal." He slapped him on the back and got up. "Let's get out of here, that door is real drafty. 'Night, Rosie," he called. Rosmerta winked from behind a mound of dirty glasses. They blew out into the street, quiet once more.


	7. Enter Heroine

By sixth year Sirius was doing heroin on a weekly basis, sneaking off to the Astronomy Tower or the lake or, if he was really desperate and wanted to be warm more than safe, the library. It was a secret both closely guarded and widely known, but James turned a deaf ear, until Sirius began over-using to a dangerous extent.

His third overdose raised suspicions in James that something other than alcohol poisoning was going on; he had witnessed the amount that Sirius could ingest without losing his head, let alone his blood alcohol level, and wondered that Sirius would even be able to obtain so much so regularly. The school had been taken in with this new Muggle trend, purebloods and Mudbloods alike, as the contemptuous Slytherins liked to pronounce. Rock n' roll had escaped Hogwarts, but sex and drugs abounded. Madame Pomfrey was forced, much to her shame, to acquire vast amounts of the Bubotuber pus so renowned a cure for the now-common STDs. Even with this, though, the way that Sirius was going was looking for trouble. Time and again he refused the help offered by his friends, unless they planned on stealing the potions necessary to keep him properly functioning.

Nevertheless, he was forced into the hospital wing almost as often as Remus. There were always plenty to keep him well supplied with flowers, candy, heroin: he could count on Lily to be the first one there when he was committed after yet another bout of the flu. His immune system was low, he was weak, and as far as she concerned that meant he would be that more eager to avoid withdrawal, and would pay that much more. She would have plenty left to finish Hogwarts with. She liked him well enough; it was just that she wanted to stay off the streets.


	8. Enter James

James was running late for class when he was held up by a crowd in the stairwell. The fourth-year next to him, shoving her way through, suddenly let out a cry.

"Sirius!"

James moved behind her and caught a glimpse of Sirius, before the backs of the people in front of him shifted and blocked his view. He was lying at the foot of the steps, his skin a sickly shade of blue, a crowd watching him die. James shoved after the girl, and got down in time to see her drop to her knees beside Sirius.

"What the hell did you do to yourself?"

He didn't move. She punched him in the gut. "You fucking asshole. What do you think you're doing?"

James tried to drag her off, but she was fighting like a wildcat and punching at Sirius. He let out a hacking cough and was breathing, almost. The girl was holding him close, stroking his hair and murmuring to him. He got up the strength to lift an arm, shove at her.

"Get off me," he said. She backed away.

"You're alright?"

He pulled himself upright and slumped so that his head was supported on his knees. "Sure. Get out of here."

She turned to go. James blocked her way. "What are you playing at, you filthy bitch? Are you trying to kill him?"

"Leave off, James," Sirius said, and retched. He threw up on the floor. James moved to get Sirius up, and with a wave of his wand the floor was clean. Sirius got shakily to his feet and looked out from under his hair to see the corridor packed with wondering faces. He waved a little sheepishly.

"Hi, guys," he said. "Please continue to your classes as the moment has passed and is no longer interesting. Where are we going, James?"

"Hospital wing," he grunted.

"No."

"Dorms, then."

Sirius let James half-carry him up to the Gryffindor common room. One more flight of stairs was too much for him. He collapsed onto a couch and let his head fall back over the arm.

"Whew."

"What happened?"

"Had too much to drink," Sirius said. "Be careful, Prongs, you don't want to turn out like me."

"In many months when I'm as old as you are." He dropped onto the carpet in front of the fire.

"You never will be, you know."

"Not unless you die first."

"Oh, well," Sirius said. "If I stop aging then, I suppose."

"What, will you shrink in some hypothetical afterlife until there's nothing left of you?"

Sirius barked a laugh, hacked a cough, rolled over with a hand to his chest. When he could speak he said, "I'll make sure to die in my prime and stay put there."

"Don't," James said. Sirius pressed his lips together. His skin pulled at the bones in his cheeks, making him look desperately thin.

"If you ever, ever go near drugs," he said, his voice strangled, "I will kill you."

James looked up sharply. "What makes you say that?"

Sirius stared into the fire for a minute, not hearing him. Suddenly he shook himself, pulled himself back over and said, "Nothing in particular. This stuff gets around, you know."

"Yeah."

"And it's awful – from what I've seen – for your health, which comes to light with my latest episode –" Here Sirius grimaced comically, and James managed a vague smile "- so don't."

"Or you'll kill me."

"Right."

"I'll kill you too, should the circumstance arise," James said cheerfully, "have no fear of that."

Sirius laughed again. He didn't find it very funny.


End file.
